1966 Australian Senate election
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6 of the 54 seats in the Senate 27 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Special Senate elections were held on 26 November 1966 to elect members to fill casual vacancies in the Australian Senate for the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
Prior to 29 July 1977, the filing of casual vacancies was complex. While senators were elected for a six-year term, people appointed to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate, at which the vacancy would be filled by the electors of the relevant state.[1]
This was one of the few occasions in which there was a special election for the Senate, as the House of Representatives and Senate elections had got out of synchronisation as a result of Robert Menzies calling an early House-only election in 1963.
Because of the loss of a seat in Western Australia, the Coalition held less than half of the seats in the chamber; the Democratic Labor Party and independent senator Reg Turnbull held the balance of power.
Australia
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats won | Seats held | Change | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | 1,645,319 | 34.21 | 3 | 22 | ![]() | |||
Country | 761,449 | 15.83 | 1 | 7 | ![]() | |||
Coalition total | 2,406,768 | 50.040 | 4 | 29 | ![]() | |||
Labor | 1,897,049 | 39.45 | 2 | 28 | ![]() | |||
Democratic Labor | 421,959 | 8.77 | − | 2 | ![]() | |||
Liberal Reform Group | 43,716 | 0.91 | ||||||
Independent | 39,799 | 0.83 | 1 | ![]() | ||||
Total | 4,809,291 | 6 | 54 |
New South Wales
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quota | 1,046,934 | ||||
Liberal | Bob Cotton (re-elected 1) | 1,056,968 | 50.48 | ||
Labor | Clive Evatt | 908,763 | 43.40 | ||
Democratic Labor | Gwynydd Meredith | 128,136 | 6.12 | ||
Total formal votes | 2,093,867 | 95.75 | |||
Informal votes | 92,949 | 4.25 | |||
Turnout | 2,186,816 | 94.72 |
Queensland
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quota | 417,438 | ||||
Liberal | Bill Heatley (re-elected) | 426,726 | 51.11 | ||
Labor | Bertie Milliner | 328,289 | 39.32 | ||
Democratic Labor | Rogers Judge | 62,870 | 7.53 | ||
Independent | Ian Kent | 16,989 | 2.03 | ||
Total formal votes | 834,874 | 97.32 | |||
Informal votes | 22,956 | 2.68 | |||
Turnout | 857,830 | 95.26 |
Victoria
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quota | 593,218 | ||||
Country | 1. James Webster (re-elected 1) 2. Lloyd Atkin | 761,449 | 50.26 | ||
Labor | 1. George Poyser (re-elected 2) 2. Giuseppe Di Salvo | 507,188 | 33.48 | ||
Democratic Labor | 1. Jack Little 2. Frank Dowling | 190,681 | 12.59 | ||
Liberal Reform Group | 1. Edwin Ryan | 43,716 | 2.89 | ||
Independent | 1. Kenneth Nolan 2. Laurence Hoult | 11,933 | 0.79 | ||
Total formal votes | 4,152,524 | 95.83 | |||
Informal votes | 180,743 | 4.17 | |||
Turnout | 4,333,267 | 93.98 |
Western Australia
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quota | 121,862 | ||||
Liberal | 1. Peter Sim (re-elected 1) 2. Reg Withers (defeated) 3. Victor Garland | 161,625 | 44.21 | ||
Labor | 1. Laurie Wilkinson (elected 2) 2. John Henshaw | 152,809 | 41.80 | ||
Democratic Labor | 1. Mark Briffa 2. Lydia Obbes | 40,272 | 11.02 | ||
Independent | 1. Frederick Simpson 2. John Huelin | 10,877 | 2.98 | ||
Total formal votes | 365,583 | 89.26 | |||
Informal votes | 43,987 | 10.74 | |||
Turnout | 409,570 | 94.57 |
Changing seats
State | 1963 election | Appointment | 1966 Election | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Member | Term | Party | Member | Date | Member | Party | ||||
New South Wales | Liberal | Bill Spooner | 1963-1968 | Liberal | Bob Cotton | 4 August 1965 | Bob Cotton | Liberal | |||
Victoria | Labor | Charles Sandford | 1963-1968 | Labor | George Poyser | 26 October 1966 | George Poyser | Labor | |||
Country | Harrie Wade | 1963-1968 | Country | James Webster | 9 December 1964 | James Webster | Country | ||||
Queensland | Liberal | Bob Sherrington | 1963-1968 | Liberal | Bill Heatley | 14 April 1966 | Bill Heatley | Liberal | |||
Western Australia | Liberal | Sir Shane Paltridge | 1963-1968 | Liberal | Reg Withers | 17 February 1966 | Laurie Wilkinson | Labor | |||
Liberal | Seddon Vincent | 1963-1968 | Liberal | Peter Sim | 26 November 1964 | Peter Sim | Liberal |
See also
References
- ^ Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977, Volume 3" (PDF). The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1966 Senate special election: New South Wales". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1966 Senate special election: Queensland". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1966 Senate special election: Victoria". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1966 Senate special election: Western Australia". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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